What People In Springwater Say about Development

Development In Springwater-This is what the people think.


During the election campaign, many people expressed a desire to see the Township of Springwater retain its enviable lifestyle of rural and small urban living. Many stated that they moved to Springwater because of the proximity to Barrie but also the ease of access to a quieter and simpler style of living. Most acknowledged that they were willing to forego some of the amenities offered by the larger urban centres, if they could retain the open space, small community atmosphere and access to nature.


To better understand the wishes of the residents I signed up to use an online survey tool and constructed a brief survey for residents to complete if they so desired. A number completed the survey and here are the results of that survey.


The questions were simple and easy to follow.

Most people have thought about the potential of uncontrolled development especially in the Midhurst and Hillsdale areas.

The fact that 80% of people feel that development must be controlled goes against the concept that developers are the best ones to decide how to build the future of Springwater.

It appears that most residents feel that Springwater is an area where smaller developments are in order that are complimentary to the mainly rural nature of the township. There are obviously a lot less conflicts with agriculture if we continue at the pace we have experienced over the last many years.


The 500 plus proposed development projects are contrary to all provincial planning policies in non growth areas and definitely not something that is desired by most of Springwater residents. I am sure the two respondents in the 500 or more homes a year represented some of our larger development community.

It is interesting to note that Midhurst and Hillsdale with two official plans and the township’s focus for larger developments are out of sync with what the electorate feel is appropriate. We know the largest developments on the table comprising about 5,000 homes over the next 20 years are focused around Midhurst.

It is interesting that many residents including those in Midhurst think that is poor planning and inappropriate for Springwater. The Province in its guiding policies would like to see development in areas that already have complete infrastructure. The only fully serviced community and only complete community is Elmvale. I find it interesting that the general public have put more thought into future development than all the expert staff and previous council members.


This next issue doesn’t need to be regurgitated but is interesting. If you want to really understand how poorly the rates were established and implemented speak to Fred Archer.

I witnessed the mixed messages he received from the previous elected officials during his number of appearances at planning and council meetings earlier this year. I understand that the whole development charge matter will be one of the first things this council will address.

The employment land focus is the Hillsdale Flos Four West/CR 93 area, Snow Valley and Bertram Business Park, which are all good areas for industrial growth.

However, there seems to be little done to promote Elmvale employment lands where there is access to an excellent labour force and a number of support services that could be an incentive for companies that want to locate in Springwater.

When it comes to development, it is the people of Springwater that should decide. There is a misconception that development will mean a new stream of revenue for a municipality. If you read the Hemson report that was prepared for the County prior to their most recent Official Plan, it suggests that there is no proof that new development of any kind provides addition free cash from the actual development charges or the new assessment. The expenses for new and added services that accompany development typically equal or exceed the new revenue stream. At best development is revenue neutral.


Everyone I met during my campaign, except for a few developers and land speculators, believe that Springwater should grow at a slower and more orderly pace then our big neighbor to the south. Springwater is not a designated urban node growth centre and its allocation of another 6,000 people over the next 20 years by the province in its Growth Plan Amendment would allow the township to address the needs of its residents in a well planned fashion without incurring a major debt servicing. That would mean about 150 homes a year on average which would be easily incorporated into the existing services and infrastructure.


Talk to your newly elected officials and emphasize the importance and urgency of the need for the township to develop its own concise plan for future development. It must be our elected officials that create the long term vision and plan for orderly growth, rather than the paid staff or the large developers. They should be viewed and used as advisors. They should not be the decision makers. My experience as a committee of adjustment member for 5 years suggested that some staff have a distorted view of good planning which is not necessarily in the best of the township.


Springwater’s residential, commercial and industrial growth must be complimentary to the rural nature of the township. This allows our settlement areas to live in close harmony with the mainly agricultural landscape of Springwater.


Keep informed and attend the Planning Meetings whenever you can and attend public meetings on Planning issues when they arise.


Everyone on this new council appears to be open and interested in a more transparent approach to government in Springwater. Keep informed and spend the time to talk to this fresh group of individuals. They have the ability to move this township out of its adolescence and be an example of an efficient, visionary municipality.


Bill French

Grenfel

Springwater Council Inauguration

Dec 6, 2010: With rather inclement snowy and windy weather, over 200 people braved the elements and attended the first inauguration of a Township Council at Springwater’s new Administration Centre that opened in the Fall of 2009. The new council includes Mayor Linda Collins, Deputy Mayor Dan McLean, Councilors Dan Clement, Perry Ritchie, Rick Webster, Sandy McConkey and Jack Hanna.

The atmosphere was different this time around. There was a fresh, positive and upbeat expectation from the crowd that gathered. Most of the new council were surrounded by friends, supporters and members of the public that have made Springwater a very special place to live, work and play.

Justice James C. Crawford who officiated the Oath of Office and Oath of Allegiance commented that as a criminal court judge he seldom has the opportunity to conduct such positive and uplifting ceremonies.

Most of the new councilors thanked those that had assisted in their campaign and all acknowledged the support of family in the campaign and in public life.

Mayor Collins in her first address as Mayor repeated her campaign promise of building a team of trust and cooperation. She thanked the previous mayors of Springwater including Coutts, Brown and Guergis for their dedication and different styles of leadership which has brought the township to where it is today. She acknowledged the enthusiasm of the new council and I think there is a general agreement that this new council is different from the councils before it.

It appears that all new members of council want to engage the public and all seem to be easy to talk to. I was told that the council will implement changes that will allow public comment and engagement in the near future. That will be positive for both the residents and will better inform the council of various issues of the electorate.

I am sure it may have been a result of the timetable or a simple oversight, but a number of people that contribute to the well being and orderly operation of the township were not appropriately recognized. It would have been a gesture of goodwill if all those that have applied and been accepted on the 9 boards and committees had been recognized rather than just a call for the newly appointed members to stand. These are the committees and their members. Accessibility Advisory Committee, Denise Calvert, Natalie McCarthy, Marg O’Neill, Peggy Norton-Harris and Deputy Mayor Dan McLean; Committee of Adjustment, Gregory Barker, Cor Kapteyn, Tami Kitay, Gerald Sullivan and Robert McClung; Fenceviewers, Jim Lalonde, Charlie Renaud and Gerald Sullivan; Heritage Committee, Peter Archer, John Beaulieu, Ruth Byers, Greig Stewart, Don Molloy, Philip Saunders, Marlene Hilton Moore and Councillor Sandy McConkey; Library Board, Lisa Buchanan, Margaret Campbell, Helena Howell, Donna Kenwell, Nancy Kuikman, Reet Skelton, Dave Snedden, Brenda Stride, Monique Winter and Councillor McConkey; Livestock Valuers, Reg Cown, Charlie Renaud, and Bernard Terry; Recreation Advisory Committee, Carl Luoma, Jill Robertson, Karen Ritchie, Doug Kirton and Councillors Dan Clement and Jack Hanna; Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, Councillors Perry Ritchie and Rick Webster; Community Policing Committee, Councillors Webster and Hanna. All these people need our support in these important positions.

During the campaign there were a number of references to the township being young and like an adolescent. I believe this newly elected council will finally bring the township to a level of maturity where self serving interests will be set aside. Having chatted with all the new council members, I do see a focus will be placed on what is good for both the Township as a corporation and the 18,000 residents that call it home.


Congratulations to the new council and those many people that have accepted the positions on the local committees and boards.

Is it fun to lose? NO!

Is it fun to lose? NO! My reflection on Running for Mayor in Springwater Township


With that said, I would not have missed the opportunity of meeting so many people in Springwater over the last two months. Travelling around our vast township, I was encouraged and inspired by the hundreds of people I was able to speak with. I personally visited about three thousand homes in Elmvale, Phelpston, Hillsdale, Anten Mills, Snow Valley, Centre Vespra and Minesing areas. Securing 33% of the votes attest to the fact that people did want change in our Township. I was disappointed I could not crack the deep rooted political force led by some of our previous municipal leaders. The real problem the group had with me was their feeling I had not paid my dues by working my way through the ranks. I think that was a narrow view. I ran on experienced leadership that has been so lacking and exemplified by recent self serving heads of council. But as they say that is politics.

I enjoyed our town hall meetings, even the one in Minesing where the former deputy mayor spent more time defending the old council instead of being an effective moderator. It became clear after he interrupted my first question at 30 seconds that he was out to disparage me. The good thing is that people are not stupid and recognized his petty politics. I really enjoyed the live Rogers TV debate in Barrie and was a little disappointed that my two opponents did not want to engage in another televised debate from Rogers in Collingwood.

When I review everything I did during the campaign, I cannot think of any real changes I would have made. My platform was clear and the people I spoke to supported it. Transparency and Fiscal Management are important to everyone in the township and I hope this council follows through.

I was amused by one fact. If you recall, the past council spearheaded by the two former heads of council (complaining about Michael Jacob’s editorials) passed a unanimous motion to move the Township information page to the Barrie Advance from the Springwater News for a year because they wanted more effective communication. Isn’t it ironic that every one of those candidates running for council (including the outgoing mayor) ran ads in the Springwater News and none in the Advance. To me this illustrates the petty politics of the last council which I hope is gone for good. I must give a special plug to the Springwater News . Many of the people I spoke to during the campaign asked if I was the Bill French or C. William French that wrote letters to the editor and business articles in Springwater News and the answer of course was yes. Many commented on the campaign ads I ran and asked good questions prompted by those ads. This little home grown newspaper is read in all areas of the township. Why? Because people want to know what is going on in their municipality. I hope the new councilors pick up on Michael Jacobs’s offer to publish comments from the new councilors in the Springwater News on a regular basis. You will notice that the local MP’s and MPP’s file regular columns and actually pay for them because they find the paper a valuable communication link.

Would I do it again? The simple answer is yes, but based on the newly elected members of council, it will most likely be unnecessary. Even before this last campaign, I approached our new incoming deputy mayor after he filed his nomination papers and asked him if he wanted to consider stepping up to the Mayor position. I contacted him as his first newspaper ad seemed to be in tune with my thinking. I told him that if he wanted to run for mayor, I would most likely withdraw and support his efforts. I ran because I felt and still feel that I was the only candidate for mayor that had actual leadership experience and could lead this council and the township to a new level of performance. The good news is that there are a number of new councilors that have the background and experience to seek the top job in the next election and I believe will push to make the changes I outlined in my campaign during the new term.

In the end I did not get the job I sought but I am pleased that more voters engaged in the process. We the voters have brought new faces and a fresh approach to the next four years of council. We definitely got change and rid ourselves of self serving interests.

In closing I must thank the more than 50 people that volunteered and assisted in all aspects of my campaign. A special thanks to the encouragement I received from people like Keith and Ina Wood and God’s blessing on Donny Nelson who I promised two weeks before his passing that I would challenge the position for mayor. Another special thanks goes to the lady I call Super Trooper! She knows who she is.

Bill French

Grenfel

Collins Wins with a Decisive Margin

Congratulations to Linda Collins on her victory on Monday Night.
The people have spoken and have entrusted you to put Springwater back on track following many years of poor leadership.
I wish you well.

Bill French

Development-But at what cost?

The more I read about residential development, I find it interesting that most of the potential development land in Springwater Township is held by a few speculators under different corporate holding company names. At Council and Planning meetings it sounds like the council feels obliged to respond to their bullying tactics and grant them development rights. Many of the designated residential growth areas are not yet zoned for development and most are still agriculture. There is no rush to build on these designated lands. In the Midhurst area most land designated for future expansion is actually prime agricultural land.
I for one, am not for fast and large residential development as it is not complimentary to the rural nature of Springwater. Large developers have their place in the world and work very well in larger urban centres like Barrie for example. The size of their developments in the 2,000 plus homes would not be unusual and would bring little attention as they would be in keeping with other developments in the area. As a comparison a 2,000 home development would mean about 5,000 extra residents in Barrie or a growth of less than 3%. If you take that same development size and place it in Springwater that would be a 30% increase in population. There are two developments of that size planned for Midhurst by one developer. That to me is uncontrolled growth that the township is not capable of properly controlling or servicing. I prefer the orderly development of the smaller developers and builders that has occurred in Elmvale, Anten Mills, Phelpston, Snow Valley and Minesing. The developments to date in the Midhurst and Hillsdale area have also been orderly, but that could change dramatically if some mega projects proceed.
It appears that both developers and council at times pick and choose their particular take on provincial policies. The one thing that is ignored is more jobs closer to home. The idea of compact accessible communities as dictated by the province attempts to reduce the dependence on the automobile. That means there must be more jobs closer to residential development. The intent of the province was not to create more bedroom communities. I was intrigued to read the agenda for the Feb 25th Springwater Planning Committee meeting where one developer is attempting to re-designate land from Employment to Commercial some distance from the residential clusters of Snow Valley or Midhurst. I am sure it simple economics. It is tough to find a job creating Manufacturing or Service enterprise, but probably easy to find another tenant for a strip retail plaza. The agenda says the request is from Geranium through its various land holding companies. I was pleased to see that planning has recommended no action on this request.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in progress and growth but at a reasonable and cautionary pace. I know we can’t stand still and I would be the last to suggest such a thing. I plead with residents to get involved, talk to your councillors and come to the planning meetings. Without your input the councillors at times feel they have no alternative but to give into the pressure of these large corporations that do not understand or care about the rural nature and character of Springwater Township. We are the stakeholders of this Township. If we do not express our views, we will get what we deserve, unbridled and poor development. We are at that precipice in development in Springwater. In the end, if we fail to engage, we will be paying higher taxes for infrastructure long after these opportunists have went on to pillage the next small municipality

Very Very Very Frustrating Experience

This article is not as refined as I would like, but I felt needed to be published on this site as a cry for help.
There is no other way I can describe the County of Simcoe Waste Management Strategy information session I attended in Alliston on Monday night at the Nottawasaga Inn. The County politicians and staff continually complain that they do not seem to be able to get the message out to the taxpayers. What they seem to be missing is that the message they are sending is either unclear or to put it more bluntly unacceptable.
It becomes painfully obvious that neither the County nor Stantec truly understand waste management. When questioned, the Stantec mouthpiece stated the best approach to waste management is diversion. That is the fundamental flaw in the strategy. There was nothing outlined on any of their boards that even remotely suggested that the aim in the long term is the elimination of the necessity for waste management. It won’t happen over night, but that has to be the goal. In other words there is nothing in the plan to eliminate waste at the source, except for supporting the initiative that the province may undertake in its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) direction and some education to encourage consumers to make better choices.
The end result of this $200,000 plus Stantec contract, which will now be in excess of $250,000 in my estimation (because of these pesky taxpayers that want to be involved in the process which was not planned), will recommend more diversion, less pickups, more user pay fees and so on. Same old stuff as we have seen for the last 20 years since the County became responsible for waste management.
The open house itself spoke loudly to the County and Stantec’s lack of environmental understanding or awareness. Do they not realize that waste management is an environmental concern as it impacts our water and air. Here are some examples of environmental ignorance. The large display boards were all mounted on foam core which is Styrofoam based (very difficult to recycle or reuse). When asked, no one could tell me if the printed material that was distributed was recycled. I would say it was not, based on the feel and finish. There were free shirts and bags handed out to the attendees. The bag was re-useable, but the expense was a waste. I assume this was advised by their $250,000 PR consulting firm. This could have been eliminated and no one would have been disappointed. The survey booklet asks whether the County itself should undertake a “green procurement” policy. Most companies including the large auto manufacturers have done this for years as part of their ISO 14000 environmental responsibility certification which was first published in 1996. How can the County suggests it’s a leader in waste when it has not even attempted it themselves.
People please get involved. The County and Stantec are attempting to fast track a plan that in my estimation may be worse than what led to Site 41. Millions of dollars again could be wasted on another 20 years of misdirection. The Strategic Plan should not be finalized until the province concludes its long term direction or we will be in the same situation as we now find ourselves with the growth plan for the County. Phone, email and write your Mayors and Deputy Mayors (they are the County Councillors and decision makers) and have the process slow down so proper vetting can take place. I know former warden Guergis would like to add a completed waste management strategy to his resume as one of his accomplishments before the next election, but an ill conceived strategy will do very little good for us the taxpayers. We will be paying long after Mr. Guergis rides into the sunset at the next election. Please threaten your local politicians with political loss if they fail to take control and truly develop a well thought out plan that the County of Simcoe can be proud of.
Please attend either the meeting Tuesday Feb 9 at the Wasaga RecPlex or the Wednesday Feb 10 meeting in Midland at the North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre from 4:30 to 8:00. The presentation and Q & A is at 7:00. Have your voice heard.
I was recently reminded that if we fail to participate in the democratic process we will be governed by those that do.

No Wonder People are Frustrated

I read the attached article by Stephen Ogden. (Just click on the title above and it will take you there).

It is almost unbelievable that county politicians and staff are so isolated in their thinking on waste management. It is clear that this vision written 20 years ago was an actual plan, not some spin created by a county bureaucrat through their consultant stooge. This only reinforces the importance of residents attending the information sessions on waste management that I posted recently. Please come out and support those who are truly trying to correct a travesty that is only being amplified by our county politicians and senior staff.